An architect who is familiar with building plans in Chapel Hill says that between $450,000 and $500,000 will go into new construction in town during this spring and summer, including the Carolina Inn, the contract for which was let last week.
This is entirely apart from University operations. The town is expanding along with the institution. Homes are being projected in every section—out on the Pittsboro Road, along Cameron avenue and Vance and McCauley streets, on the Tenney farm, on Franklin street, and possibly on the fringe of Battle Park.
Costs have risen rapidly in the last few months. Brodie Thompson, contractor, estimates that the increase since October is about 15 per cent. Brick that cost $13 a thousand, delivered, last fall are selling at $17.50 now.
Here is an incident illustrating how the home builder may get badly nipped in such a rise: A professor planned a home last fall. When a bid was made upon it the amount staggered him, and he sent the plans back to the architect with instructions to cut out certain features. With the omissions duly made, he submitted the plans again to the same contractor, and the bid was higher than before! The rise in costs had more than counter-balanced the omitted features.
W.B. Sorrell is going to put up a business building with a frontage of 100 feet on the vacant lot just above Cate’s jewelry store, with space for four stores opening upon Franklin street and with rooms for students on the second floor. There will be an alley 8 or 10 feet wide running down to Rosemary street between he barber shop and the new building. Mrs. Dell Tankersley is building a home between the Ledbetter house and the Presbyterian church, the last of the Tankersley property near the post-office having been sold a few days ago.
There is talk of a new building on the empty lot between Jack Sparrow’s shop and M.D. Foister’s electrical fixture shop, but this is not definitely settled yet.
One of the most important building developments is to be on the Tenney tract at the northeast corner of town. The new curving road, upon which all the new lots face, w ill be completed soon. G.M. Braune, Frederick Koch, W.W. Pierson, A.C. Howell and T.H. Hamilton all have bought here, and all of them may build homes this season.
One professor who considers building on the Tenney tract hesitates about it because he says it’s so far from college that he will have to buy an automobile. He does not see how he can raise the money to build a house and buy an automobile at the same time.
S.J. Brockwell is planning a splendid new home on Henderson Street next to that of his partner, Mr. Jordan.
D.D. Carroll and W.F. Prouty are preparing to break up into lots their land on the Pittsboro Road. They have already laid out interior roads, and passersby not long ago found them in consultation with Dr. Coker, the botanist, about the beautification of the place with shrubs and flowers.
Mr. Carroll and Mr. Prouty have expressed themselves as determined to have here a development of the highest character. To this end every deed is to carry a clause under which the purchaser agrees not to spend less than a certain amount upon his home. This amount is said to be $7,000. A similar restriction is to be made in the case of homes on the old Battle property purchased not long ago by John M. Booker. Mr. Booker reserved for himself the old house and the land immediately around it; but he is going to put on sale several lots facing upon the winding road which is to enter the domain from the west.
The University plans to extend Cameron avenue eastward from the east gate of the campus, and this new thoroughfare is to run along the south side of the Booker property, swing around to the north, connecting with the street in front of the Bradshaw and Hibbard houses and eventually, it is said, continue up between the Lawson and Kennett lots to Franklin street. Then there is the proposed opening up of the land owned by the Gimphouls around Piney Prospect and fronting on the Raleigh Road. One of the most conspicuous present building projects, because it is on the highway coming in from Durham, is that of Sturgis E. Leavitt. His home is going up on a lot between the homes of A.S. Wheeler and H.V.P. Wilson.
A little further west, on the other side of the road next to the Williams place, James F. Royster will soon begin to build. His lot was bought out of the E.V. Howell land recently cleared of trees and graded. Hobart B. Upjohn, who is designing Mr. Royster’s house, was in town the other day consulting him about it.
Paul John Weaver has already begun a house on a lot to the rear of the East Franklin street home of Mrs. J.W. Gore. He went down to Wilmington by automobile to select the lumber.
Mrs. Bain is putting up a house back of her home on Rosemary street.
Chester D. Snell let a contract a few days ago to Brodie Thompson, for the construction of a home on Vance street near the Pittsboro Road. This is to be a one-story house. Work upon it is to begin soon.
Howard W. Odum is planning to build on his land on the Pittsboro Road next to the Carroll-Prouty tract.
Collier Cobb has been talking of putting up some more houses on Cobb Terrace. James Patterson, who owns most of the land on the street running down from the post office to Rosemary street, is considering the erection of business buildings there. There has been a great deal of curiosity for several years as to what Cameron F. MacRae is going to do with the plot on the post-office corner where Mr. Thomas now runs a store, and this curiosity does not seem any nearer to being satisfied.
Professors who may build this spring and summer, according to current report, are J.F. Dashiell, J.E. Lear and F.F. Bradshaw. Edwin A. Greenlaw will probably build a home between the MacNiders’ and the Hendersons’ before fall.
One great obstacle in the way of home-building—and it is undoubtedly preventing a good deal of construction—is the difficulty of borrowing money. The building and loan association has helped considerably, but its resources are not nearly equal to the demand. Nor are the banks able to accommodate more than a part of those who would like to have homes of their own.
From the front page of The Chapel Hill Weekly, Thursday, March 29, 1923
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